High Energy Theory Seminar

We review recent progress that sheds light on the origin of conformal symmetry for general multi-charged rotating black holes both in four and five dimensions. We show that the asymptotic boundary conditions of these general asymptotically flat black holes can be modified such that a conformal symmetry emerges. These geometries, dubbed subtracted geometries, possess a hidden SL(2,R )x SL(2,R) x SO(3) conformal symmetry and faithfully model the near horizon geometry of these black holes, but locate them in a confining asymptotically conical box.
Specifically, the wave equation for the minimally coupled massless scalar field consists of two branches of damped quasi-normal modes, given in terms of hypergeometric functions and spherical harmonics, and with no back hole bomb possible. Upon lift to one dimension higher, these geometries lift to a product of the three-dimensional anti-deSitter space-time and a sphere, and thus provide a microscopic interpretation of the black hole entropy in terms of dual two-dimensional conformal field theory. We also present a study of the entanglement entropy for these backgrounds.